On our “tour” of the orphanage this morning, I definitely needed a yellow balloon or umbrella and a megaphone. I kept turning around to see if my “team” was following Rose Mary and me, but no… they were always lagging sorely behind and had seemingly sprouted lots of new appendages in the form of small, excited and grateful children.
It was a day full of singing and dancing, hand holding, hugs, speeches, meetings, planning and stuff like, “Oh, Gloria, NOW I get it!!”
I have asked each one of my fellow travelers to write something about their experiences during this trip. I nudged Carol into being first, and she kindly obliged:
“I woke up under my mosquito net this morning having no idea what the day had in store for me. After a bumpy ride up the hill through the local streets, paths really, we arrived at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. I could not have imagined what greeted us. First the hugs and kisses of Rose Mary, so very happy to see her Change the Truth friends. But so much more startling were the faces of the children – wondering, fearing, smiling, welcoming. Walking through those walls was, for me, walking into a different world. A world of children eating porridge for breakfast, in clothing tattered and worn, no shoes. And their hands, all reaching out, anxious to be close, to be touched. And I surprised myself and reached out to them. Some stood and stared, some boldly came and said hello. There was a little girl who giggled as she pressed on my hand to see the impression change color. Others joined her, and they all giggled. I was as foreign an experience to them as they were to me. And then they danced and sang for us. They put out an energy and strength which left their circumstances behind. I was moved. Everyone of the children reaching out and hopeful. Today changed me.”
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